Ornamental zigzag stitching attachments for sewing machines



TOSHIO KODERA ETAL ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACHMENTS I June '19,1962 3,039,412

FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed :Sept. 17, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet l I N VE N TORS 7'05H/0 was/m, TETSUO MOR/SH/TA lfA TSUML. OTA BY Z 6 #vrromxnzv June19, 1962 Filed Sept. 17, 1959 TOSHIO KODERA ETAL ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAGSTITCHING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/VVE/VTOPS TsH/o KODERA TErsuo MOE/S/l/TA K/U'SUM/ 0E4 HTTOE/VEV June 19 1962 TOSHIOKODERA E 1 ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHING E'pI ACHMENTS 3039412 FOR SEWINGMACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 17. 1959 INVENTORS TOSH/O mas/m,"rzrsuo MOR/Sl-l/TA 4 KA TSUM/ OTA I r 1"" ATTORNEY June 19, TOSHIOKODERA ET AL ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINESFiled Sept 1'7, 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 //V VEN TO ESL TOSH/O KODEEA? TE751/0 MOE/S/f/FA ATTORNELY June 19, 1962 TOSHIO KODERA ET AL 3,039,412

ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Flled Sept17 1959 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 /Nl E/VTO/?5 TOSH/O KODERA rsrsuo MoR/smmKATSI/M/ 07/4 /7 TTOR/VEY June 119, 1962 TOSHIO KODERA ET AL ORNAMENTALZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACHMENTS Filed Sept. 17, 1959 FOR SEWING MACHINES 8Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS TOSH/O KUDERA TE TSUO MOE/SH/ TA K/I T5UM/ 07/?ATTORNEY June 19, 1962 TOSHIO KODERA ETAL ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHINGATTACHMEN FOR SEWING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Sept. 1'7. 1959 wwwhNN

5 H e r 02 M E/T w w 0 wKM 0M M3 2 rmk ATTORNEY 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 L S mmm C mm D G Om m 05 mm F 0 T.

Jgne 19, 1962 ORNAMENTAL. ZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACHMENTS Filed Sept 17.1959 United States Patent 3,039,412 ORNAMENTAL ZIGZAG STITCHING ATTACH-MENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Toshio Kodera and Tetsuo Morishita, OazaChlryu, Chiryu-cho, Hekikai-gun, and Katsumi Ota, Anjo-cho, Anjo-shi,Japan, assignors to Brother Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,Hekikai-gun, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Sept.17, 1959, Ser. No. 840,693 Claims priority, application Japan Sept. 25,1958 Claims. (Cl. 112-160) This invention relates to sewing machineattachments, and more particularly to improved ornamental zigzagstitching attachments which can be used with all types of ordinaryhousehold sewing machines.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an ornamental zigzagstitching attachment for sewing machines with simple structure andcomparatively at low cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ornamental zigzagstitching attachment for sewing machines, the changing parts of which,that is the pattern template can be manufactured by stamping out andthus be supplied cheaply.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ornamental zigzagstitching attachment for sewing machines which makes it possible toobtain several kinds of ornamental patterns by a single template.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an ornamentalzigzag stitching attachment for sewing machines which comprisesproviding a horizontally oscillating plate imparted with the graduallongitudinal reciprocating movement and the lateral oscillatory movementin cooperation with the up-and-down reciprocating movement of the needlebar, a presser foot mounted so as to oscillate laterally, and a templateand a pin-shaped follower which are respectively fixed to either of theabove horizontally oscilalting plate and the presser foot, the lateralmovement of the horizontally oscillating plate being transmitted to theaforesaid presser foot by the periodical variation of the oscillatingwidth and range in proportion to the shape of the template, saidvariation being caused by the relative longitudinal reciprocatingmovement of the aforesaid pattern template and the pin-.

shaped follower.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of part to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: v

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of an ornamental zigzag stitchingattachment embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIHI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of same;

FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a pattern template;

FIG. 6b, 0 and a are the perspective views of other embodiments of thepattern groove;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of still another embodiment of this invention;

"ice

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the essential parts thereof; and

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of FIG. 7.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in FIGS. 1 to 3, l is theattaching member for securing the attachment to a presser bar of asewing machine and 2 is the actuating lever which engages the needle barof a sewing machine, 2 being the shaft which is supported by upstandingportions 9 of an attachment frame 9 secured to the attaching member 1and the actuating lever 2 being pivoted on the shaft 2'. This actuatinglever 2 is provided with a pawl 3 which is pivoted by a pin 3' andengaged with a ratchet wheel 5 by means of a spring 3". The actuatinglever 2 forms a projecting lug 4 at its lower end, of which projectinglug 4 can be engaged with an upwardly bent portion 7" at the forward endof a transmission member 7. The ratchet wheel 5 is secured to the shaft2'. 6 is the groove cam which is fixed to the shaft 2'. To thetransmission member 7 there is attached a sliding plate 7 with a pin 8.And this sliding plate 7 is made to be slidable longitudinally over theattachment frame 9, being guided by a pin 10 secured to the attachmentframe 9 and a slot 11 formed on the sliding plate 7, said pin 10 beingfitted in said slot 11. The downwardly bent portion 7" at the rear endof the transmission member 7 engages a ratchet wheel 12 by means of aspring 16. Said spring 16 is mounted between a portion of saidattachment frame 9 and a portion of the transmission member 7, therebythe transmission member 7 is pulled backwardly so that the upwardly bentportion 7" of a transmission member engages with the lug 4 and at thesame time, the transmission member 7 is rotated around the pin 8 so thatthe downwardly bent portion 7" is urged to the ratchet wheel 12. Saidratchet wheel 12 is secured to a shaft 13 which is rotatably supportedto a plate 19 fixed to the attachment frame 9. A pin 14, which has beenprovided eccentrically on this ratchet wheel 12, protrudes .as the fitin a laterally elongated slot 15 provided in an oscillatory plate 15.The regulating cam 17 is mounted on the attachment frame 9 as to befreely rotatable, and forms the stopping surfaces for the plate 7consisting of a large-diametered and a small-diametered part. Theoscillatory plate 15 is provided as to be freely movable on theattachment frame 9 having a longitudinally elongated slot 18 throughwhich a guide pin 20 secured to a fixed plate 19' is fitted. To anintermediate plate 15 fitted to this pin 20, a follower 21 is providedwhich engages with the cam 6 after passing through the slot in the plate15. The frame 9 is provided with a lateral slot 22 in which fits a pin24 carried in a presser foot 23, the tip which pin 24 also fitting in apattern groove 25' of a pattern template 25 which is secured in theoscillatory plate 15 as to be freely insertable or removable. Also, inthe presser foot 23, there is provided a longitudinally elongated slot226 into which is fitted a shaft roller 28 pivotally supported by abottom plate 27. The bottom plate 27 is attached to the base plate '9with a pin 29 The pin 29 is inserted into a slot 27' of the bottom plate27 which is tightened to a proper position by a thumb screw 31 which isscrewed into the attachment frame 9 through a slot 27" provided on theupwardly bent portion 27" of the bottom plate 27.

In a device such as the above the oscillatory plate 15 is impartedsimultaneously a lateral movement with the pin 20 as its center by meansof the cam *6 and a longitudinal movement by means of the transmissionmember 7, ratchet wheel 12, pin 14 and slot 15', and thus lateraloscillatory movements are imparted by the operation of an actuatinglever 2 and a longitudinal back-and-forth movement is given by aplurality of the operation of the actuating lever 2. A pattern template25 having a pattern groove 25' is fixed to the rear end of theoscillatory plate 15 as to be freely removable and changeable. Pin 24which is fixed to a presser foot is positioned in the said patterngroove 25' projecting upwardly through a lateral elongated slot 22 whichis provided in the attachment frame 9. The lateral movement of theoscillatory plate 15 imparts the oscillatory movements caused with therollor 28 as the center to the presser foot 23 by means of the saidtemplate 25 and pin 24. The oscillatory width or oscillatory range ofthe presser foot 23 can be periodically changed according to thelongitudinal shapes of the said pattern groove 25. In this invention thereturning movement of the transmission member 7 by means of a spring 16,which imparts the back-and-forth movement to the oscillatory plate 15,has been limited by the cam 17. As a result, if the plate 7 is made tostop at the small-diametered part of the cam 17, the return stroke ofthe transmission member 7 becomes long, while if it stops at thelarge-diametered part, the stroke becomes short. Thus the distance thatthe transmission member 7 travels, i.e., the amount of the ratchet wheel12 rotation, can be regulated.

Therefore, it can regulate the amount of the longitudinal movement ofthe oscillatory plate 15 which corresponds to an operation of anactuating lever 2. In other words, since it is possible to regulate theback-and-forth movement of a needle by a back-and-forth movement of theoscillatory plate, the number of stitches contained in a cycle of theornamental stitches sewn by a backandforth movement of the said template25 can be freely varied. It is also possible to adjust the oscillatorywidth of the presser foot 23 to the elfect of varying the width of theentire pattern by shifting the bottom plate 27 by way of loosening thesaid thumb screw 31.

In FIGS. 4 to 9 an embodiment of the ornamental sewing attachment havingan improved actuation transmission adjusting mechanism is shown.Needless to say, this embodiment also possesses all the variousabove-decribed properties of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGS. 4 to 6, 101 is the attaching membertor securing the attachment to a presser bar of a sewing machine and 102is the actuating lever for engagement with the needle bar of a sewingmachine. This lever 102 oscillates about a shaft 102 supported byupstanding portions 116 of an attachment frame 116 secured to theattaching member 101 and is provided on its lower end with a push ring103 and a pawl 104. 105 is the zigzag cam rotating around the shaft 106supported by a plate 109 which is secured to the frame .116 and havingon its upper surface a plurality of nail-like lugs 107 which engage theaforesaid pawl 104. 108 is the ratchet wheel transmission member whichis mounted free- 1y slidably on the fixed plate 109. This transmissionmember 108 is provided with a slot 108' being fitted over the shaft 106and its tip is pressed constantly against the side wall of the fixedplate 109 by means of a spring 110. Moreover, on this member 108 thereis formed a stepped section 111 on its forward end for engagement withthe aforesaid ring 103 and also at its rear end a pawl 113 engaging theratchet wheel 112 is formeed by bending the rear end downwards. Theratchet wheel 112 being carried in the fixed plate 109 as to be freelyrotatable has a pin 114 provided eccentrically therein, which pin fitsin a laterally elongated slot 115" of the horizontally oscillating plate115. The horizontally oscillating plate 115 is mounted on a base platean attachment firame 116 as to be freely movable and is provided with aslot 117 to which is fitted a guide pin 118 which is secured to thefixed plate 109. The aforesaid cam is disposed between the walls 115'provided at the edges of this horizontally oscillating plate 115. In theattachment frame 116 a slot 119 is provided in which a pin 121 attachedto a presser foot 120 fits in, and at the tip of this pin 121 the groove123 of the pattern template 122 which is secured in the plate 115 as tobe freely removable is fitted. As pattern templates to be used in thisattachment, those with appropriate shapes of grooves in accordance withthe shapes of ornamental stitches to be sewn will be provided for asshown in the various drawings from FIGS. 6a to 6b. That shown in FIG. 6ais for a pattern in which the width and scope of oscillations aresimultaneously varied, the distances of the walls of groove 123a fromthe center line of the pattern template being irregularly varied. Thatshown in FIG. 6b illustrates one for a pattern in which the width ofoscillation alone gradually changes with respect to one side, the shapebeing such that the distance from one of the side walls of the groove1225b to the center line of the pattern template remains unchanged whilethe distance to the center line of the pattern template from the otherWall gradually changes. That shown in FIG. 60 is one for a pattern inwhich the width of oscillation does not change but the scope alone ismade to change in steps, the groove 1230 showing no change in its groovewidth but being made to bend with the center line as its axis. Thatshown in FIG. 6d is one for a pattern in which only the width ofoscillation varies an equal amount to both sides of the center line, theshape of its groove 123d being made symmetric to both sides of thecenter line of the pattern template. And in the presser foot 120 a slot120 is provided wherein is fitted a shaft roller 125. A bottom plate 124is screwed to the attachment frame 116 by means of a thumb-screw 126 asto permit a change in its position forward or backward relative to theframe 116. The rear end of the pattern template 122 is bent to form afinger grip 123'. 127 is the tightening screw for the pattern templateand 128 is the screw for securing the ratchet wheel 112.

When the lever 102 is oscillated by the needle bar in theabove-described attachment, the lever 102 not only rotates the cam 105through the pawl 104 but also rotates the ratchet wheel 112 by means ofthe pawl 113 at the tip of the ratchet wheel transmission member 108which is made to slide longitudinally over the fixed plate 109 by meansof the ring 103. Hence, the intermediate oscillatory plate 115 isimparted simultaneously a lateral oscillating movement centering aroundthe pin 118 by means of the cam 105 and a longitudinal gradual movementby means of said pin 114 and the slot 115" and thus oscillates whilemaking a longitudinal movement. With this movement of the horizontallyoscillating plate 115, as only the lateral oscillatory movement istransmitted to the presser foot 120 through the pin 121 which is securedto the presser foot 120, and the pattern template 122 which is securedto the above plate 115, this presser foot 120 oscillates with the rolleras its center, and as a result the cloth worked is made to movelaterally by means of the presser foot 120.

Accordingly, in accordance with this invention since it comprisesproviding a horizontally oscillating plate which is impartedlongitudinal and lateral movements in cooperation with the needle barmovement and dis posing between this horizontally oscillating plate andthe presser foot a pattern template and a pin whereby the horizontallyoscillating plate is regulated in accordance with the dictates of thepattern template and transmitted to the presser foot to oscillate same,when compared with conventional attachments, the mechanism is possibleof great simplification. Moreover, with the longitudinal and lateralmovements concentrated in the horizontally oscillating plate, it beingmerely necessary to fit the pattern template in the horizontallyoscillating plate and to couple this directly with the presser footmatters are made very simple.

Also in this invention, wherein in cooperation with the movement of theactuating lever the zigzag cam is made to rotate and the ratchet wheelis made to make a one direction intermitten rotary movement since anoperative connection has been disposed between the foregoing and thehorizontally oscillating plate so that the aforesaid cam and the ratchetwheel transmit respectively oscillatory and longitudinal movements tosaid horizontally oscillating plate, it is possible to impart with asimple mechanism simultaneously longitudinal as well as lateraloscillations to the horizontally oscillating plate by means of theoscillation of the actuating lever.

Moreover, in this invention inasmuch as the longitudinal and lateraloscillatory movements are concen' trated in the horizontally oscillatingplate, for perforn'r ing ornamental sewing it is merely necessary toinsert the pattern template 122 in the horizontally oscillating plate.With the means of attaching the pattern template 122 to the horizontallyoscillating plate being provided for by forming a receiving section inthe horizontally oscillating plate (formed by bending the edges of thehorizontally oscillating plate downwards) and the template being madefreely insertable and removable, there is the advantage that changes areeasily accomplished.

As a modified embodiment of this invention instead of the ratchet wheelrotating disks as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 may be employed to achieve thedesired end.

In the drawings, 208 is the transmission member, being slidably mountedover a fixed plate 209' and provided with a slot 208 which fits over ashaft 206. The side of this transmission member 208 is provided with aninclined surface I which is urged by a spring 220 to be in constantengagement with an adjusting screw. And on this transmission member 208there is formed a stepped section 211 for engagement with the aforesaidring 203 and also a pawl 213 engaging a driving plate 12 which isreciprocably rotatable and is concentrically disposed With respect to arotating disk 212 tobe hereinafter described, the pawl being formed bybending the tip of the transmission member downward. On the plate Pthere is formed a retaining member P for retaining the transmissionballs S, the ball S being retained between the retaining member P' andthe disk 212 as to lock the member P and the disk 212 together only incase the driving plate P rotates in one direction. S is a braking balland is disposed between the disk 212 and a guide pin 218 to be describedhereinafter and similarly locks the disk 212 and the pin 218 togetheronly in case of the rotation of the disk 212 is in one direction, 229being the spring for pressing the ball in contact.

In this embodiment, when the lever 202 oscillates with the movement ofthe needle bar, the lever 202 not only rotates the cam 205 by the pawl204 under the lugs 207 but also by actuating the transmission member 8slidably over the fixed plate 209 by the ring 203 rotates the. drivingplate P with the pawl 213 provided at the tip of said transmissionmember. In this case, due to the fact that the transmission ball S isdisposed between the driving plate P and the rotating disk 2.12, duringthe backward movement of the back-and-forth movement of the transmissionmember 208, i.e., when the driving plate P is rotated in a clockwisedirection, the ball S remains idle and does not perform its transmissionfunction. However, when the plate P is rotated in a counterclockwisedirection the ball S wedges in between the retaining member P and thedisk 212 locking the two and thus rotates the disk 212. In thisinstance, the ball S, being exerted a forcing out action, does notimpede the transmission action of ball S. With the rotation of the disk212 the horizontally oscillating plate 215 being imr partedsimultaneously a lateral movement centering around pin 218 by the cam205 and a longitudinal movement by the transmission member 208 will thusoscillate while making a longitudinal gradual movement.

In this embodiment of the invention, an inclined surface 2 has beenprovided on the transmission member 208, and an adjusting screw b hasbeen made to engage with this inclined surface. Thus, by manipulatingthe adjusting screw b to change the position at which it engages theinclined plane 2, the travel of the transmission member 8 can beincreased or decreased. As a result, since the amount of the movement ofthe driving plate P changes, the angle of rotation of the disk 212 withrespect to a single reciprocating movement of the driving plate P can bechanged; that is, it results in changing the number of reciprocations ofthe driving plate P necessary for one rotation of the disk 212. In otherwords, the number of up-and-down reciprocations of the needle barincluded in one reciprocation in a back and-forth direction of thehorizontal oscillating plate is changed.

While we have shown and described some preferred embodiments of ourinvention, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited tothese embodiments but is capable of modification and variation withoutdeparting trom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. An ornamental zigzig stitching attachment for a sewing machine havinga presser 'bar and a needle bar, which comprises an attaching member forsecuring said attachment to the presser bar of the sewing machine, anattachment frame secured to said attaching member, an actuating leverpivot-ally supported on said frame as to be cscillatable in accordancewith the up-and-down reciprocating movement of the needle bar of thesewing machine, an oscilalting plate mounted on said frame as to bemovable in a substantially horizontal plane laterally as well aslongitudinally, means converting the movements of said actuating leverinto lateral oscillating movements of said horizontal oscillating plate,means converting a multiplicity of oscillating movements of saidactuating lever into one longitudinal reciprocating movement of thehorizontal oscillating plate, a presser foot pivotally supported to thelower part of the frame as to be cscill-atable in a substantiallyhorizontal plane, and a pattern template having a pattern groove securedto said horizontal oscillating plate as to be movable with saidhorizontal oscillating plate in .a substantially horizontal planelaterally as Well as longitudinally, and 1a pin-shaped fo llower securedto said presser foot and made to be positioned in the pattern groove ofsaid pattern template, whereby when the actuating lever oscillates inaccordance with the up-and-down reciprocating movements of said needlebar, the pin-shaped follower secured to the presser foot, in consequencof said horizontal oscillating plate reciprocating in a longitudinaldirection while simultaneously oscillating laterally, maintains buttableengagement with the side edges of the pattern groove of said patterntemplate moving in conjunction with said horizontal oscillating plate soas to cause said presser foot making in a cycle lateral oscillatingmovements of changing oscillating widths in accordance with theconfiguration of the pattern groove of said pattern template.

2.. An ornamental zigzag stitching attachment for sewing machinesaccording to claim 1 wherein said pattern template is secured as to befreely insertable or removable as well as interchangeable in a receivingsection formed in said horizontal oscillating plate and said pin shapedfollower is secured projectingly in said presser foot.

3. An ornamental zigzag stitching attachment for sewing machinesaccording to claim 1 wherein regulating means for varying the ratio ofthe number of times the actuating lever moves to the number oflongitudinal reciprocating movements of the horizontal oscillating plateis provided, whereby the number of stitches to be included in one cycleof the ornamental stitches is made variable.

4. An ornamental zigzag stitching attachment for sewing machinesaccording to claim 1 wherein means for moving the center of oscillationof said presser foot is provided, whereby the width of Whole of thepattern may be varied.

5. An ornamental zigzag stitching attachment for sewing machinesaccording to claim 1 having means converting the movement of theactuating lever to a longitudinal oscillatory movement of saidhorizontal Oscillating plate which comprises a rotating member supportedas to be rotatable upon the attachment frame, means converting themovement of said actuating lever to -a one direction intermittentrotating movement of said rotating member, and an operative connectionbetween said rotating member and said horizontal oscillating plate formaking said horizontal oscillating plate to reciprocate oncelongitudinally by means of one complete rotation of said rotatingmember.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 102,405,253 Hickey Aug. 6, 1946 2,553,514 Enos May 15, 1951 2,619,925Sharenow et al. Dec. 2, 1952 2,652,015 Utz Sept, 15, '1953

